This invention relates to a device for assisting a person carrying out the task of clearing snow, for example from a driveway.
Motorized snow blowers and throwers of course make light of the task of removing snow from a driveway, etc.. But there are times when the use of such motorised machines is inappropriate, and in any event the machines can be expensive. The invention is concerned with a device for enabling a person to use his own forceful physical movements to the best advantage, so that a person may conveniently remove snow without resorting to motorised machines.
Apart from motorised machines, the ordinary shovel is a commonly employed device for moving snow, but the use of a shovel requires that the snow be lifted and thrown, repeatedly, so that conventional shovelling is regarded as somewhat too strenuous.
A common alternative to the ordinary shovel is the snow pusher, in which a blade is pushed through the snow, like a hand-held snow plow. A characteristic of the snow pusher, which is unlike the snow shovel, is that during operation of the device the device rests on the ground. People prefer to use the pusher device, rather than the shovel, because the shovel involves the strenuous task of repeatedly lifting the snow, and indeed lifting the shovel. The use of the pusher device is less arduous because the device remains in contact with the ground.
However, with the conventional snow pusher device, because the device remains in contact with the ground, problems arise when the ground is uneven. For example, when the device is used on an uneven surface, the edges and corners of the blade can become snagged in protrusions and crannies. This makes snow removal more irritating, because of the stoppages and interruptions to smooth movements. Another problem arises in that when the driveway is of gravel, moving snow with a snow pusher can lead to pebbles, etc. being picked up and moved along with the snow. This of course can damage the driveway surface, and the damage often can occur without the person being aware of the fact.
Particularly in the case of the snow pusher, it is important to maintain the pusher blade at a suitable angle relative to the horizontal ground surface, for efficient removal of the snow.
Snow pushers have been in common use for many years, and it has been proposed to place skis underneath the handle of a snow pusher, in order to maintain the pusher blade at the correct angle for pushing. U.S. Pat. No. 2,388,985 (Martin, 1944) is an example of this.
Snow shovels are also in common use, and it has been proposed to place skis under the blades of shovels, spades, and scoops, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,409 (Jameson, 1946); in Canadian patent no. 687,138 (Neuman, 1964); and in Canadian patent no. 892,438 (Gohl, 1972).